Kids often grow out of allergies to milk and eggs

Adults are developing food allergies that they didn’t have as children

Research published in 2019 found that almost half of 40,000 surveyed adults with food allergies developed a new food allergy as adults, underscoring that our immune systems may newly misclassify substances later in life.

More than 90% of America’s food allergies are triggered by 9 foods

Milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish and most recently, sesame, are recognized as the most common food allergies in the US. Together, they are responsible for at least 90% of the serious food allergy responses in the country.

Amish kids have far fewer allergies than the general population

Only about 7% of Amish children in a northern Indiana community have tested positive for common allergens in routine skin prick tests, whereas half of the general US population tests positive for them. Asthma is also extremely uncommon among the Amish, even when compared with other farming communities. Researchers are interested in exploring if approaches like exposing kids across the general population to Amish farm dust might stave off some allergies.

One-third of kids with food allergies report being bullied because of it, surprising parents

Research published in 2021 surveyed how more than 100 kids with food allergies were treated by their peers. About one-third of the surveyed kids had their allergies used against them. Bullying tactics included that their allergens were sometimes intentionally put in their food or thrown at them. Parents usually had no idea this bullying was happening.

Seasonal allergies don't always show up in childhood

The human immune system may become sensitized to pollen and develop an allergic reaction to it after prolonged exposure. Other triggers for new seasonal allergies may include exposure to new environments and changing climate conditions that affect allergy season length and conditions for various pollens.

Allergies occur when our immune system mistakenly considers a substance a threat

Immunoglobulin E antibodies, or IgE antibodies, may bind to an allergen, effectively labeling it as a threat. That triggers a cascade of actions in the body, including the release of histamine, which causes the characteristic itching and hives of allergies. Sometimes a cooked version of an allergen—like a cooked carrot—may look different enough from its raw form to the immune system that antibodies ignore it, and no allergic response takes place.

CRISPR technology is removing allergens from common foods

Proteins responsible for allergies to eggs, milk, wheat, peanuts, and other foods can be genetically edited out of foods to reduce the risk of life-threatening reactions. The technique has also been used to produce caffeine-free coffee beans, spicier tomatoes, allergen-free pets, and more nutritious fish.

Peanut allergies dropped by 43% after doctors reversed avoidance guidance, but questions remain

The study’s data appear to confirm the policy shift. Still, since the study did not include an examination of infant diet, researchers can’t definitively say that the guideline shift led to dietary changes and thus directly caused the decline.

How our sense of taste evolves as we age

Kids are hardwired to prefer sweets over greens, with sweetness a shorthand for calorie-rich and bitter flavor warning of potentially noxious plants. This holds true even in the womb, where fetuses have been seen via ultrasound scans grimacing as their hosts consume kale capsules. As they age into double digits and beyond, their taste cells and sense of smell diminish, leading to broader and less sensitive palates.

About two-thirds of humans lose their ability to produce lactase after weaning

Lactase is an enzyme that digests lactose—a sugar in milk and dairy products. While genetics strongly determines lactase persistence, factors like famine, disease exposure, and gut bacteria also influence symptoms and evolution.

Embracing poor hygiene in early life won't stave off allergies

The hygiene hypothesis, first proposed in 1989 by British immunologist David Strachan, suggests that early life exposure to microbes—like those from farm dust or pets—properly trains our immune systems to respond to threats. But sometimes the idea is misinterpreted: It doesn’t mean that poor hygiene—like failing to wash hands–will help ward off allergies; that type of behavior leads to infections and won’t help with allergy prevention.

Women are born with all the eggs they will ever produce in their lifetime

Girls are born with an estimated 1 million to 2 million eggs in their bodies, but around 10,000 die monthly before puberty. Scientists have not yet figured out why there's such an excessive number of eggs prior to menstruation, but they've calculated that there are roughly 300,000 to 400,000 eggs left at puberty.

35% of Americans have moved on from their childhood religion

A new Pew Research analysis finds that most Americans still identify with their childhood religion, but 35% have switched or left entirely—often due to lost belief or drifting away.

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

Twin studies suggest celiac disease is among the more genetically-linked disorders

Genetics appear to play a larger part in this condition's development than many other autoimmune disorders. Research shows a roughly 60-75% genetic probability that if one identical twin has it, the other will too. Celiac triggers a small intestine attack when people eat gluten, a protein commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye.

Infants are particularly at-risk for ear infections

The Eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the upper throat and help to drain fluids and equalize pressure, are relatively flat at birth, making it hard for gravity to assist with drainage. The angle of these tubes changes and becomes steeper as we age, making fluid buildup in the ear canal less common.

What causes high cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a complex health issue, and for a long time, the American Health Association recommended Americans not eat more than three eggs a week to avoid it. But scientific advancements on the impact of different types of cholesterol revealed eggs aren't so bad. So what is it, and how does it effect us? Dive into the digestive tract here.

Watch the iterative process of successfully printing a slice of vegan cheesecake

3D printing food requires integrating ingredients with a variety of properties, which may not all resist the physical stress of stacking. This means successful 3D printing of food may require rethinking how ingredients are layered and modifying ratios of each, potentially sacrificing taste for structural integrity.

The nutrients vegetarians and vegans need to keep in mind

Although most older Americans still enjoy their steaks and chicken, an estimated 2.5 million of those ages 55 and older have abandoned red meat and poultry in favor of a predominantly plant-based diet. Some people decide to go vegetarian or vegan...

Eggshell color doesn't indicate taste or superiority

Brown, white, and blue eggs taste and cook identically. Despite popular notions that brown eggs are superior, the shell color reflects the genetics of the hen alone. What actually determines egg quality is freshness and the diet of the hen (where grass and leafy greens lead to denser yolks). And freshness can go both ways: older eggs peel more easily than fresh ones.

What Costco does with its unsold baked items

Ever wonder what Costco does with its seemingly endless supply of muffins and other baked goods? Rather than mark down the items or toss them in the trash, the big-box retailer donates the perishable food to Feeding America, a network of food banks and other programs that help feed those in need.

Pregnancy at older ages increases the chances of fetal abnormalities

Chromosomal irregularities are more likely at older maternal ages so genetic testing for a fetus of mothers-to-be at age 35 and older is often recommended. Conditions that can be screened for in utero include cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell disease, Down syndrome, spina bifida, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and more.

Secondary complications from measles in children range across the whole body

The most serious effects of a measles infection, particularly in young children, come from its attack on the immune system. This leaves the whole body vulnerable to follow-on diseases, with some of the most serious including respiratory conditions, encephalitis, and more.

Watch a Yale University psychologist explain his new supportive parenting anxiety therapy

Dr. Eli Leibowitz says that accommodating a child's fears and anxieties—say, sleeping on the floor next to them or submitting to their requests to repeatedly come tell them goodnight—can further their anxiety. Instead, parents should change how they approach fear to equip children to think they don't need parental rescue.

Eating competitions can ruin a stomach's elasticity

Competitive eaters make room for all that food by toying with the stomach's ability to expand and contract. Still, doctors warn that repeated stress can destroy that ability, leading to further issues.

The ubiquitous 1990s “Got Milk?” ad campaign was intended to fix milk’s dwindling popularity in the late 20th century

Despite its success in spreading the word about milk, the sales numbers weren’t quite as impressive. This Mental Floss article details the marketing efforts themselves, as well as how milk lobbyists didn’t necessarily succeed despite their revolutionary ads.

Poison ivy is in the same family as mangoes, cashews, and pistachios—and they all produce oily urushiol in their raw, unprocessed state—but they are typically prepared in ways to avoid causing human discomfort.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Tattoos remain visible on your skin thanks to immune cells called macrophages

Children are now three times more likely to say they want to be a YouTuber when they grow up than an astronaut, with some even attending 'YouTube camps' that teach kids how to create content for the platform.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.

Mid-century modern graphic designers, known for their bright colors and bold lines in advertising, also found success with children's books.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

When you complete a CAPTCHA on a website to prove you are human, you may be unknowingly training algorithms for self-driving cars, whose systems require training data to help identify crosswalks, bicycles, and other outdoor objects.

In 2009, the nation was gripped by the story of a missing young boy who was believed to be floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon, until it was revealed that he was at home the whole time.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

Sunflowers have long been a symbol of nuclear disarmament because they can extract large amounts of radioactive cesium from soil.

After the Boston Tea Party, colonists switched to coffee, which became the main morning drink for revolutionaries.

While El Niño moves warm Pacific Ocean waters east along the equator, La Niña moves them west, shifting where rainfall will become more common for months.

The Great Salt Lake's distinct dual coloration results from high-salinity organisms that only live in the northern portion and produce a purple protein.

While atoms are normally made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, exotic ones have been built with antimatter—alternate versions of normal matter that live for fractions of a second and are about a billion times as rare.

A small portion of The Winstons' 'Amen, Brother,' an obscure '60s gospel record, is the basis for thousands of hip-hop tracks, making it one of the most sampled records ever that's informally known as 'the Amen break.'

'Silent' fireworks have gained more interest in recent years as a quieter celebratory option.